Tuesday, April 20, 2010

For all the hate towards ConservaDems dished out on this blog (rightfully so), there's someone who has managed to avoid some of the general progressive criticism because he's been a good senator for 9 months. What Democratic senator did the following?(via Chris Bowers)

Represents a state that President Obama won by more than 10%, and that has a Democratic voting registration advantage of more than 10%?

Blanche Lincoln? Mary Landrieu? Let's add a few more:

-Was endorsed by George W. Bush and Rick Santorum?-Supported all of Bush's Supreme Court nominations?-Campaigned, and voted for McCain/Palin because they were "the better choice"?

If it sounds like I'm describing a lifelong Republican, you would be right. Arlen Spector became a Democrat for one reason alone, to keep is job. He has no values, moral compass, and cares about absolutely no one but himself. While the the David Broders of the world will claim the opposite, Arlen Specter is the absolute personification of what is wrong with politicians, the Senate, and our Government. The idea that someone who enabled every aspect of the Bush Agenda that went before his Judiciary Committee would on a year later get endorsements of every prominent Democrat from the President on down is nothing short of a disgrace.

Even worse is the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO's, who also endorsement of Specter, the man who killed the Employee Free Choice Act as a callous attempt to save is own ass. The AFL CIO's decision to endorse Specter over Sestak is the just as much a step backwards as their courageous move to back Bill Halter over Blanche Lincoln was a step forwards.

So why did they endorse such an asshole? The simple answer is that he's been a good Democratic Senator for 9 months, that's mostly true. And why has he been a good Democrat for 9 months?

Because once again, Arlen Specter fears for his job, and we all know he is such a souless shit that will do a 180 on every position he claimed to believe in for 40 years in order to keep his place in the elite ego worshiping country club that is the US Senate.

And why does he fear for his job, even though Obama, Biden, Rendell and just about every other elected official with a D next to their name has attempted clear the field of actual Democrats?

He fears for his job because Joe Sestak has balls of the size of grapefruits, and hasn't been intimidated by the calls/threats to drop out, even when they came from the President of the United States. For more information on the race, here's a Chris Bowers' endorsement, someone who has serious knowledge of Pennsylvania politics:

Sestak is an extraordinarily relentless campaigner--I have honestly never seen anyone better than him on this front. His constituent services are, from what I understand, possibly the best in the entire Congress. His biography and resume are difficult, if not impossible, to match. Further, he is significantly more progressive than Specter according to all voting scorecards. Also, despite the standing ovations in front of the party leadership, there was a stronger anti-Specter undercurrent at the state Democratic committee this weekend then I think most news reports are indicating. You are talking about hundreds of people who spent thirty years trying to defeat Specter, after all.

I don't think many people are Democrats just for the sake of Democrats accumulating more power. People become Democrats because of the causes and ideals represented by the party. An octogenarian Senator who switched parties to save his job and who fails to cross even the bare minimum threshold on many of these causes and ideals is simply not why people are Democrats. The insider relationship that Governors and other high ranking party officials care about are irrelevant to the rank and file. In a campaign this high profile, most high ranking endorsements won't matter much, either. People want cheaper health care, and they don't want elections decided for them behind closed doors.

This is going to be a very close, election. I'm one Pennsylvania Democrat, state committee member, and former union organizer, who is throwing his lot with Joe Sestak.

I made a promise to myself that any time I heard Arlen Specter doing something good in the last year, I'd give 5 dollars to Joe Sestak. If I'd kept that promise I'd be nearing the fund-raising limit, because the transformation that Sestak has forced Specter to do has been nothing short of remarkable. Even if he doesn't win, making Specter fear that he has a competitive race is equally valuable in the short term.

Joe Sestak joins Bill Halter as the second candidate added to TRAIN ACTION, and even if you can throw 5 dollars his way, you can be assured it will go to good use.

2 comments:

On the other hand, this would imply that Spector would actually be a decent democrat if we can make sure he continually fears for his job. To be blunt, I don't care if he's faking it, so long as he continues faking it with his votes.Mind, you, I don't trust him to do that once he's not up for re-election for a while...